• IPA: /kənˈfɛʃən/

confession

1. The open admittance of having done something (especially something bad).

   Without the real murderer's confession, an innocent person will go to jail.

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene i]:

     With a crafty madness keeps aloof, / When we would bring him on to some confession / Of his true state.

2. A formal document providing such an admission.

   He forced me to sign a confession!

3. (Christianity) The disclosure of one's sins to a priest for absolution. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is now termed the sacrament of reconciliation.

   I went to confession and now I feel much better about what I had done.

   • c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     (First Folio ed.)

     Hauing diſpleaſ'd my Father, to Lawrence Cell, / To make confeſſion, and to be abſolu'd.

4. Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Romans 10:10 ↗:

     With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

5. A formula in which the articles of faith are comprised; a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission to membership of a church; a confession of faith.

• confess

• French: confession
• German: Bekenntnis, Eingeständnis, Geständnis
• Italian: confessione
• Portuguese: confissão
• Russian: призна́ние
• Spanish: confesión

• Russian: призна́ние

• French: confession
• German: Beichte
• Italian: confessione
• Portuguese: confissão
• Russian: и́споведь
• Spanish: confesión

• Russian: вероиспове́дание